וַיִּֽירְא֤וּ (way·yî·rə·’ū) in Jonah 1:10: Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
וַיִּֽירְא֤וּ (way·yî·rə·’ū) in Jonah 1:10
Source Word
The BSB+ row for Jonah 1:10 links the English rendering "afraid" with וַיִּֽירְא֤וּ, Strong's H3372, and the parsing label Conj-w | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form marks the sailors' fear as the next response to Jonah's disclosure, sharpening the moral weight of his flight.
How To Communicate It
Use this form to trace how the narrative escalates from danger at sea to fear before the Lord Jonah has disobeyed.
What Not To Say
- Grammar should serve context, not override it.
- Do not make the imperfect label prove more than the sentence supports.
- Do not use the stem label by itself to settle a theological claim.
- Do not treat this occurrence as a complete word study for the whole Hebrew lemma.
What Does The Label Mean?
Hebrew-verb
Verb
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Conjunctive waw
Qal
Consecutive imperfect
Third person
Masculine
Plural
The consecutive imperfect form participates in the verse's movement; Jonah 1:10 determines whether the reader should hear sequence, result, or narrative progress.
This form carries the BSB rendering "afraid" within Jonah 1:10. Jonah 1 follows the prophet's flight, the storm at sea, and the sailors' growing fear as disobedience is exposed.
What The Form Does In This Verse
The action or phrase rendered "afraid" in Jonah 1:10
The form is governed by the sailors' response after Jonah tells them he is fleeing from the Lord.
It marks the sailors' fear after Jonah explains his flight, intensifying the movement from storm anxiety to moral alarm.
The form does not by itself settle every use of H3372, every possible translation, or the whole doctrine connected to this passage.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The form marks the sailors' intensified fear after they learn Jonah is fleeing the Lord.
Waw-consecutive Qal imperfect marking group response. shows the sailors responding with fear as the story advances. Attached to the men feared greatly clause. Governed by the narrative response to Jonah's disclosure. The verb marks response in sequence; the narrative explains what kind of fear is in view.
How do the sailors respond after Jonah speaks? They become greatly afraid.
Direct: The form directly supports feared or became afraid.
Fear in Jonah 1 develops across the chapter, so this occurrence should be read in its immediate stage. Waw-consecutive carries the narrative response forward and should not be flattened into a tense label only.
Qal fear always means the same kind of fear: The stem names the fear action; the narrative context distinguishes panic, alarm, and reverent response.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The BSB+ row for Jonah 1:10 links the English rendering "afraid" with וַיִּֽירְא֤וּ, Strong's H3372, and the parsing label Conj-w | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp.
H3372 is represented here by the lemma יָרֵא. In this occurrence, the public guide is limited to the BSB rendering "afraid" rather than every possible gloss of the entry.
The Qal consecutive imperfect carries the sailors' fear forward as the next narrative response after Jonah's confession.
Jonah 1 follows the prophet's flight, the storm at sea, and the sailors' growing fear as disobedience is exposed.
The form fits Scripture's witness to mercy, repentance, prophetic obedience, and God's compassion for the nations.
When teaching Jonah 1:10, show that the form marks a changed response after the sailors learn Jonah is fleeing the Lord.
Do not define biblical fear from Qal alone. The sailors' words and the narrative progression show the kind of fear in view.